For my puzzlement about about the meaning of "Robin Hood's Barn," see here. For its meaning, see here.
Svoboda was born in the soot, noise and danger of a city Lowlevel where, as a child, he was sold to a thiefmaster. Lowlevels work in mines or plankton reapers. When Svoboda was twelve, an explosive slug from a guard's gun smashed the bones in his left foot and he was reapprenticed to a fence, thus learning to read and write. By the age of twenty-five, he had become Commissioner for Astronautics.
By sixty, Svoboda has been an upper-level Citizen for half his life and can expect to live for another twenty years. Sixty is middle-aged for an upper-level or a Guardian.
I will learn more but, for the present post, I am confining myself to p. 7, the opening page of the text.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Even if Astronautics had come to be thought of as a political dead end in the World Federation of ORBIT UNLIMITED, age 25 seems young for Svoboda to have been even briefly Commissioner of that Agency. After all, a Commissioner ranked at the very top of the Federation's hierarchy, forming the Premier's cabinet.
Sean
Sean,
I remember less of the politics but I will find out. But the text is indicating that Svoboda is tough.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Oh certainly, Svovoda was more than tough enough to handle his political opponents. AND wily and Machiavellian to boot!
Sean
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